Doreen's Deals: The first rule of Bargainomics

I shopped for Father's Day gifts for my husband, Dan, weeks ago so I could get the best price and selection.

If you broke the golden rule and left gift shopping until today, you'll most likely spend more and get less. Learn your lesson and spend more time, not money, for gifts.

Last-minute shoppers can still save today, says South Florida savings maven Jodi Furman. She tells how to live the upscale life without the price on her shopping blog at LiveFabuLESS.com.

"It's best to shop early so you can save the most," says Furman, of Palm Beach County. "But it is possible to still save on gifts for your guy."

Here's Furman's top five tips on how to grab Dad a new shirt and not lose yours in the process.

Take advantage of low-price guarantees. "Many stores, like Target, Walmart and mall stores, have price-adjustment policies," Furman says. She recommends checking your favorite retailer's policy on the Web before you head out on the hunt.

Save receipts. "If you do buy items at full price and it goes on sale in the next seven to 14 days, you can bring receipts back and stores will refund the difference."BrandsMart USA offers a 30-day look back. Home Depot and Lowe's beat best prices by 10 percent.

Spend more time. "Next time, shop early. Start watching sales fliers in the paper to gauge prices," Furman says. "I use a site called Hukkster.com. It emails you an alert when products go on sale, so you can save even more."